Surface treatment system and method

ABSTRACT

A surface treatment system in which gas for a deposition reaction is injected into a deposition chamber and power is applied to form a deposition reaction to form a deposition layer at a surface of an object or surface treatment, wherein the deposition chamber has a plurality of deposition spaces disposed in parallel and a convey unit for conveying one or more objects of surface treatment to each deposition space or discharging the objects of surface treatment from each deposition space after a deposition reaction.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a surface treatment system and methodand, more particularly, to a surface treatment system and method forforming a deposition layer on a surface of an object of surfacetreatment by using a deposition reaction.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a surface treatment is to make a surface of a product madeof a material such as a metal look good, or to improve a surface to haveheat resistance, corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, etc. so thata function of the product can be improved according to a condition ofusage of the product. That is, the surface treatment is concealing innerdefects, etc. by properly treating a surface of the metal.

The surface treatment includes plating on a surface of an accessory,chromium plating on brass, or a tinplating for iron sheet, etc.

The surface treatment methods include alumite for protecting an insideof an object of surface treatment by making oxide layer, ananticorrosive coating by paint, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD)reaction, or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) reaction.

In the meantime, a heat exchanger used in an air conditioner, arefrigerator, a heating apparatus, etc. is a device for transferringheat from fluid of high temperature to fluid of low temperature througha heat transfer wall. At this time, a flow of the fluid becomesdifferent according to a characteristic of a surface of the heattransfer wall, and the characteristic of the surface of the heattransfer wall greatly influences to a heat exchange efficiency of theheat exchanger.

Accordingly, a radiator surface of the heat exchanger is required tohave a surface treatment having various characteristics according to aperformance of the heat exchanger. To this end, fins of the heatexchanger are fabricated by processing a sheet having a treated surfaceto improve hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, or corrosion resistance.

Also, the sheet for processing the fins of the exchanger has a surfacetreatment that forms a deposition layer at the surface of the sheet byusing the chemical vapor deposition reaction or the physical vapordeposition reaction.

In the meantime, for the surface treatment, reaction gas is injected ina deposition chamber and then power is applied thereto for a depositionreaction. A method for applying power includes a method for applyingpower to the object of surface treatment for the deposition reaction.

In the conventional surface treatment method represented in PCTPublication No. WO9927157, power is directly applied to an object ofsurface treatment in a polymerization chamber injected by reaction gasto cause a plasma polymerization reaction, thereby forming a depositionlayer at a surface of the object of surface treatment.

Meanwhile, when a product finishes the surface treatment, it isgenerally undergoes a process such as manufacturing, molding, etc.according to desired conditions and shapes, during which, however, a cutsection or the deposition layer may be damaged or the product may beassembled with other member without surface treatment.

That is, when the object which has been surface processed in largequantities to have quality desired for use conditions is subjected tothe process such as the molding or the assembling, the surface of theobject of surface treatment may be damaged or there may be a member nothaving such a desired quality, which would result in reduction of aneffect of the surface treatment.

In addition, in order to enhance productivity in surface treatment of aobject of surface treatment, a surface treatment system for formingdeposition layer at a surface of the object of surface treatment inlarge quantities is needed.

In addition, in order to surface-process a product, that is, an objectof surface treatment, to allow the product to have quality orcharacteristics suitable for desired conditions, flowing of gas for adeposition reaction have much influence on formation and quality of adeposition layer. Thus, a surface treatment system having gas flowsuitable to form a deposition layer having a desired quality or desiredcharacteristics is needed.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a surfacetreatment system which has a deposition chamber with a plurality ofdeposition spaces to form a deposition layer at a surface of an objectof surface treatment and is capable of surface-processing in largequantities, and its surface treatment method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a surfacetreatment system which has a deposition chamber with a plurality ofdeposition spaces to form a deposition layer at a surface of an objectof surface treatment and has gas flow suitable for a surface-processingin large quantities.

To achieve the above object, there is provided a surface treatmentsystem in which gas for a deposition reaction is injected into adeposition chamber and power is applied to form a deposition reaction toform a deposition layer at a surface of an object of surface treatment,wherein the deposition chamber has a plurality of deposition spacesdisposed in parallel and a convey unit for conveying one or more objectsof surface treatment to each deposition space or discharging the objectsof surface treatment from each deposition space after a depositionreaction.

In the surface treatment system of the present invention, a gasdischarge unit is disposed at the center in the deposition chamber todivide the deposition space into two sections, and a gas injection unitfor injecting gas for a deposition reaction into the deposition space isinstalled at both sides of the deposition chamber.

The achieve the above objects, there is also provided there is provideda surface treatment method in which gas for a deposition reaction isinjected into a deposition chamber and power is applied to form adeposition reaction to form a deposition layer at a surface of an objectof surface treatment, wherein a plurality of deposition spaces areformed in parallel in the deposition chamber, one or more objects ofsurface treatment are conveyed into each deposition space, and theobjects of surface treatment are discharged from each deposition spaceafter the deposition reaction for forming a deposition layer at thesurface of the objects of surface treatment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual view showing a surface treatment system inaccordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates the construction of the surface treatment system inFIG. 1.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A surface treatment system and a surface treatment method in accordancewith the present invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

Elements other than those requisite for constituting the surfacetreatment system of the present invention are omitted in thespecification and drawings for simplicity purpose.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual view showing a surface treatment system inaccordance with the present invention.

A surface treatment system in accordance with the present invention isfeatured in that gas for a deposition reaction is injected into adeposition chamber 100, to which power is applied to form a depositionreaction to form a deposition layer at a surface of an object of surfacetreatment 900, of which the deposition chamber 100 has a plurality ofdeposition spaces 110 disposed in parallel and a convey unit forconveying one or more objects of surface treatment 900 into each of thedeposition space 10 or discharging the objects of surface treatment 900from each deposition space 110 after the deposition reaction.

A deposition reaction for the surface treatment includes the chemicalvapor deposition (CVD) reaction, the physical vapor deposition (PVD)reaction, etc., and especially, the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention adopts the plasma deposition reaction as disclosed in PCTpublication No. WO9927156, one of the conventional surface treatmentmethods.

Namely, in the surface treatment system in accordance with the presentinvention, gas for a deposition reaction is injected into the depositionchamber 100, to which power is applied to form plasma depositionreaction, that is, the deposition reaction, to form a deposition layerat a surface of an object of surface treatment.

Though the deposition reaction in the present invention mainly focuseson descriptions of the polymerization layer, it also can be adoptable toa surface treatment system, regardless of types of deposition reaction,in which gas for a deposition reaction is injected into the depositionchamber, to which power is applied to form a deposition reaction to forma deposition layer at the surface of the object of surface treatment900.

The gas injected into the deposition chamber 100 allows a desireddeposition layer to be formed at the object of surface treatment 900,and as the power, a radio frequency (RF) power or a DC power can beused. The object of surface treatment 900 can be used as one electrode.

The convey unit simultaneously conveys/discharges the objects of surfacetreatment 900 to/from each of the deposition spaces 110, so that it cansurface-process them in large quantities.

FIG. 2 illustrates the construction of the surface treatment system inFIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the convey unit includes a mounting unit 210 formounting one or more objects of surface treatment 900 and a moving unit220 for moving the mounting unit 210.

The mounting unit 210 can mount a plurality of objects of surfacetreatment 900 thereon and can simultaneously advance into the pluralityof deposition spaces 110.

The convey unit, serving to perform a function of mounting and movingthe object of surface treatment 900, can be diversely modified withgeneral efforts.

There can be several method for forming a plurality of deposition spaces110 in the deposition chamber 100, and in the present invention, asshown in FIG. 2, the surface treatment system has two deposition spaces110 with the gas discharge unit 300 disposed at the center of thedeposition chamber 100.

The surface treatment system of the present invention includes a gasinjection unit 400 installed at both sides of the deposition chamber100, through which gas for a deposition reaction is injected into thedeposition space 110.

With the configuration of the gas injection unit 400 and the gasdischarge unit 300, gas flows in the direction indicated by arrows inFIG. 2.

The gas injection unit 400 is installed at an inner side of the wall 120of the deposition chamber 100 and includes a connection pipe 411connected to a gas supply unit (not shown) and injection holes 410 forinjecting gas into the deposition space 110.

The injection holes 410 are constructed such that they are denselyformed as being distanced from the connection pipe 411 so that the gascan be uniformly distributed in the deposition space 110.

The gas discharge unit 300 includes a pair of compartment plates with ais discharge passage 320 for discharging the depositionreaction-finished gas outwardly of the deposition chamber 100 formedtherebetween. The pair of compartment plates include a plurality ofholes 331 to allow gas to pass therethrough.

In the surface treatment system, in order to apply power for adeposition reaction to the deposition space 110, as shown in FIG. 2,electrodes 120 may be installed by pairs at both sides of eachdeposition space 110. The electrode 120 is formed platy, may have aplurality of holes (not shown) formed to allow gas to pass therethrough,or may have a mesh form.

Reference numerals 330 and 340 are respectively indicate an powerapplying unit and a connecting line electrically connecting the objectof surface treatment 900 and the power applying unit 330.

The operation of the surface treatment system constructed as describedabove in accordance with the present invention will now be explained.

First, one or more objects of surface treatment 900 are mounted on themounting unit 210 of the convey unit and conveyed into the depositionchamber 100. According to configuration, the objects of surfacetreatment 900 may be mounted on the mounting unit 210 and conveyed intothe plurality of deposition spaces 110 of the deposition chamber 100.

After the objects of surface treatment 900 are conveyed into thedeposition chamber 100, the deposition chamber 100 is closed and sealedby an open and shut unit (not shown), and gas for forming a depositionlayer is injected into the deposition space 110 through the gasinjection unit 400. And then, power is applied through the electrodes120 in the deposition chamber 100. As a deposition reaction takes placein the deposition space, a deposition layer is formed at the surface ofthe object of surface treatment 900.

The deposition reaction-finished gas is discharged from the depositionchamber 100 through the discharge passage 320 of the gas discharge unit300 according to a gas flow formed by the gas injection unit 400 and thegas discharge unit 300.

After the deposition layer is formed at the surface of the object ofsurface treatment 900, the deposition chamber 100 is opened by the openand shut unit (not shown), and the mounting unit 210 with the object ofsurface treatment 900 mounted thereon is discharged from the depositionchamber 100 by the moving unit 220.

As so far described, the surface treatment system of the presentinvention has the following advantages.

That is, since there are formed a plurality of deposition spaces to forma deposition layer for one or more objects of surface treatment, theobjects of surface treatment can be surface-processed in largequantities. Thus, a surface treatment cost can be reduced.

In addition, the surface treatment system can surface-process a productthat has already undergone a process such as assembling or molding, etc.so that a damage to a product which may be done during the process suchas assembling or molding can be prevented, and thus, surfacetreatment-desired products can be surface-processed in large quantities.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the surface treatment systemand method of the present invention without departing from the spirit orscope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioncover modifications and variations of this invention provided they comewithin the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A surface treatment system in which gas for a deposition reaction isinjected into a deposition chamber and power is applied to form adeposition reaction to form a deposition layer at a surface of one ormore objects of surface treatment, wherein the deposition chamber has aplurality of deposition spaces disposed in parallel and a convey unitfor conveying the objects of surface treatment to each deposition spaceor discharging the objects of surface treatment from each depositionspace after a deposition reaction.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theconvey unit simultaneously conveys/discharges one or more objects ofsurface treatment into/from each deposition space.
 3. The system ofclaim 2, wherein the convey unit comprises: a mounting unit for mountingone or more objects of surface treatment thereon; and a moving unit formoving the mounting unit.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the mountingunit mounts one or more objects of surface treatment.
 5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein there are provided two deposition spaces.
 6. The systemof claim 1, wherein a gas discharge unit is disposed at the center inthe deposition chamber to divide the deposition space into two sections,and a gas injection unit for injecting gas for a deposition reactioninto the deposition space is installed at both sides of the depositionchamber.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electrode for applyingpower into the deposition space is installed by pairs at both sides ofeach deposition space.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electrodeallows gas for a deposition gas to pass therethrough.
 9. The system ofclaim 7, wherein the electrode includes a plurality of holes to allowgas to pass therethrough.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein theelectrode has a mesh form to allow gas for a deposition reaction to passtherethrough.
 11. The system of claim 6, wherein the gas injection unitis installed at both sides of the deposition chamber perpendicular to amoving path of the object of surface treatment.
 12. The system of claim6, wherein the gas injection unit includes a plurality of injectionholes formed at both sides of the deposition chamber.
 13. The system ofclaim 6, wherein the gas discharge unit includes a pair of compartmentplates with a discharge passage for discharging the depositionreaction-finished gas outwardly of the deposition chamber formedtherebetween, and the pair of compartment plates include a plurality ofholes to allow a gas to pass therethrough.
 14. The system of claim 6,wherein the convey unit simultaneously conveys/discharges one or moreobjects of surface treatment into/from each deposition space.
 15. Thesystem of claim 14, wherein the convey unit comprises: a mounting unitfor mounting one or more object of surface treatment thereon; and amoving unit for moving the mounting unit.
 16. The system of claim 14,wherein the mounting unit mounts one or more objects of surfacetreatment.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the deposition reaction isa chemical vapor deposition reaction.
 18. The system of claim 1, whereinthe deposition reaction is a plasma deposition reaction.
 19. The systemof claim 1, wherein power is applied to the object of surface treatment.20. A surface treatment method in which gas for a deposition reaction isinjected into a deposition chamber and power is applied to form adeposition reaction to form a deposition layer at a surface of an objectof surface treatment, wherein a plurality of deposition spaces areformed in parallel in the deposition chamber, one or more objects ofsurface treatment are conveyed into each deposition space, and theobjects of surface treatment are discharged from each deposition spaceafter the deposition reaction for forming a deposition layer at thesurface of the object of surface treatment.
 21. The system of claim 3,wherein the mounting unit mounts one or more objects of surfacetreatment.
 22. The system of claim 11, wherein the gas injection unitincludes a plurality of injection holes formed at both sides of thedeposition chamber.
 23. The system of claim 11, wherein the gasdischarge unit includes a pair of compartment plates with a dischargepassage for discharging the deposition reaction-finished gas outwardlyof the deposition chamber formed therebetween, and the pair ofcompartment plates include a plurality of holes to allow a gas to passtherethrough.
 24. The system of claim 15, wherein the mounting unitmounts one or more objects of surface treatment.